Dr. Douglas A. Blanc, Sr.
We are conditioned by common reasoning to adopt what seems to be a fundamental law: “something cannot come from nothing.” We are introduced to this law quite innocently (even Biblically) in the form of a work ethic. Labor and production go hand in hand. Certainly, this is a principle found in Scripture. Paul declares this in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 toward those unwilling to work, that they will also not eat. The “sluggard” (i.e. one who is sluggish, lazy) is also requested in the Bible to “go to the ant” (Proverbs 6:6-8), the creature known for its industry and storing reserves. Paul noted that “our labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). The Psalmist makes his plea to God to make the endeavors of His people successful (90:17). So, the requirement to perform in the Lord’s service, to work as a means to securing necessary provisions; these are staples in the Christian life.
If we are not careful, however, we will yield to the familiar human tendency of self-sufficiency. Even a small child responds to the perceived intrusion of parental help with, “I can do it myself!” We have, at the same time, the Biblical mandate found in the so-called “Lord’s Prayer” to appeal to God for our “daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). One wonders if this is not a reminder of the days when God fed His people daily by a heaven-provided layer of manna (Exodus 16:4-5; Numbers 11:6-9). Certainly there was work in the faithful gathering of what the Lord daily supplied, but the emphasis is placed on the insufficiency of the people to care for themselves. Without God there would be no manna and nothing to eat. Therefore, in all of our efforts to work, we must be careful to remember the ultimate Source of the provision, God (James 1:17). When making arrangement for the supplies to build the temple of the Lord, David gathered offerings from the people of Israel. The vast supply accumulated from the generous freewill offerings prompted David to pray: “But who am I and who are my people, that we should be in a position to contribute this much?” Did David praise his ingenuity and that of the people to garner such resources from the fruit of their labor? No. “Indeed, everything comes from you, and we have simply given back to you what is yours” (1 Chronicles 29:14). In fact, during the days of David’s son, Solomon, when Israel reeled from the throws of apostasy, God withheld His blessing from the land and no amount of labor proved productive. The Lord appeared to Solomon with the solution: “If my people, who belong to me, humble themselves, pray, seek to please me, and repudiate their sinful practices, then I will respond from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Again, centuries later in the days of Haggai the prophet, the command of the Lord to rebuild the temple stood neglected. No amount of labor could produce satisfaction and provision. The prophet delivered the world of the Lord: “Is it right for you to live in richly paneled houses while my temple is in ruins?” (Haggai 1:4) The blight upon the labors of the people (vv. 6-11) is a judgment from God that He justifies as follows: “Because my temple remains in ruins, thanks to each of you favoring his own house!” (v. 9)
From this brief discussion, we can see how easily we are led to place a heavy emphasis upon work in order to secure what is needed. There seems to be a derived law from the pages of Scripture: work-eat, work, lay up in store, work-secure God’s blessing. This law is set within the context of the human tendency away from divine dependence and toward self-sufficiency. It is possible to seek from work what we ought to be seeking from God. In this sense, we make of work a god in our lives. We depend upon our skill and ingenuity for daily provision. We make of our sponsors and employers what is rightly God’s role. They are His servants, releasing support through their faithfulness to provide according to His moving in their hearts. Did not God give Joseph favor in the eyes of Potiphar? (Genesis 39:4) When banished to prison, the faithful Joseph again found favor in the eyes of the warden (v. 21). Position, status, supply, these are for the Lord to give through the wisdom, labor, and gifts that He grants form His heavenly store. All of this is easily discovered from the Scripture. No lesson is required, even for the newest believer. It appears in the Bible as self-evident truth. The pendulum of faith, however, must be monitored so as to avoid self-reliance with the very resources that God provides. Ironic, I know, but such is human nature.
Yet, a word about faith. I began this post with a warning about becoming conditioned. The error of conditioning to which I refer is as follows. We may become conditioned to look for the Lord’s provision through the resources or work He provides through others, that we fail to seek Him for what may be received directly from His hands. Isn’t that a radical thought! Perhaps there will always be human agency in the reception of all that comes from God, even indirectly from unintended and unexpected sources. What I am addressing here is a faith that trusts in the God who specializes in bringing something out of nothing. He spoke and the worlds came into existence (Hebrews 1:1-3). Mediating the provision of the world itself is the Son of God (John 1:1-3). Is it not this same High Priest that prevails upon us to seek the same from Him? (Hebrews 4:14-16; Matthew 7:7-11; 21:22 and John 15:7) God promised His suffering prophet Jeremiah, that if he would call on Him in prayer, that He would answer and show him “great and mysterious things which [he] did not know about” (33:3).
The God who spoke the world into existence can speak provision into our lives. Jesus demonstrated this principle often. On one occasion He “rebuked the winds and the sea, and it [a great storm] was a dead calm” (Matthew 8:23-27). Earlier in the same passage a desperate Centurion approached Jesus on behalf of his anguished servant. Upon offering to go to the servant, the Centurion responded, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Instead, just say the word and my servant will be healed” (Matthew 8:7-8). The Centurion noted a universal principle: “For I too am a man under authority…” (v. 9) The resulting amazement of Jesus is directed at the Centurion’s faith (v. 10). Indeed, what faith! The Centurion recognized that Jesus was able to bring “something from nothing” due to His ability to draw from heaven’s resources under the authority of God’s permission. A mere word (spoken at a distance) could affect the physical condition of a paralyzed servant. This was not God healing through physicians, but the direct intervention of God by means of the spoken word. How often do we pray and ask God to “guide the hands of the physician” and all the while overlook the presence of the Great Physician? I’m reminded of the ancient Israelites who looked to Egypt or other military alliances to secure protection from the attack of bordering nations. This is the path of self-sufficiency. God spoke regarding this through the prophet Isaiah: “Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead, those who rely on war horses, and trust in Egypt’s many chariots and in their many, many horsemen. But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel and do not seek help from the Lord” (Isa 31:1).
Back to the Lord’s Prayer, “…may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). The ordering of the words in the original text language (Greek) is “as in heaven, so [or, even also] on earth.” Key to this equation is to recognize who is in control. Self-sufficiency looks to man as autonomous. However, we must make every effort to resolve with all of our being that it is God alone who reigns supreme. This is not mere sentiment or abstract affirmation. That is, one may assent that such a thing is true, but fail to internalize the truth and allow it to transform our conduct and responses. The question is, “If God is in control absolutely, then what is He able to do in this situation?” Here is where the disciples were found to be “little faiths” (Matthew 14:31), but a Centurion without the benefit of Scripture, trusting only in the claims of Jesus, modeled the faith required of every believer to secure “something from nothing.”
